Dedicated police team to check accidents on Yamuna eway

The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to form a dedicated district police team to guard the 165-km-long Yamuna Expressway, said officials at the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Thursday.

The entry restricted expressway - a high-speed link between Greater Noida and Agra - has witnessed about 200 road accident deaths, thanks to poor policing, said the officials.

In order to ensure safety to commuters, UP government’s dedicated police team will enforce traffic rules in an effective manner.

“The UP government last week said that a dedicated police team is of utmost necessity for the Yamuna Expressway. To end the jurisdiction issue, the entire 165-km-long high-speed link will be converted into a separate district zone. A government notification in this regard is likely to be issued in January next year,” said Rama Raman, chairman of the Yamuna authority, to Hindustan Times on Saturday.

At present, the expressway is manned by six districts’ police.

“Traffic rules are not being enforced effectively due to jurisdiction issues among different district’s police on the expressway. This has increased the frequency of accidents and deaths,” said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.

According to the plan, a dedicated superintendent of police (SP) will head the police team comprising circle officers and other staff. Six districts - Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Mathura, Hathras, Aligarh and Agra police that are now responsible for law and order on the expressway, will be relieved of it once the stretch becomes a separate district zone.

“The number of circle officers to be deployed and police stations to be built along the stretch is yet to be decided. We will ensure that police are available for residential and office buildings along the Expressway,” said Raman.

In the past, farmers have protested against delayed police action in cases of road accidents on the expressway.

“The delay is caused due to the jurisdiction issue. There have been times when the police are fighting over it and the accident victim dies. After accidents, insurance cases do not get the desired attention of the police, adding to the victims’ suffering,” said another official of the Yamuna authority.

The maximum speed limit on the expressway is 100kmph. “Because of the smooth road and weak enforcement of traffic rules, commuters drive at 150kmph or above, leading to fatal accidents. If policing is streamlined, commuters can travel safely,” said Madan Chauhan, a commuter.

The Noida authority has already provided a dedicated police team equipped with high-tech equipment for the 25-km-long Noida expressway - a link between the Yamuna expressway and Delhi.

“UP government today has officially sanctioned us to take six police man on deputation for the security of the Yamuna authority,” said PC Gupta chief executive officer (CEO), the Yamuna authority.